Monthly Archives: March 2014

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It’s right on the street where I work!! I promptly texted it to my sister, who also freaked out!

I asked the guy I work for and he said it is definitely the same L’Engle. There was a lot going on and I couldn’t get more info right then. But is friends with everyone on the street. It’s an interesting part of town with lots of old houses, most of the ones on the street have been moved from elsewhere.

While I was looking for more info about the house and her ties to my area (there’s not much!), I came across a blog with photos of (I think) the same house in a different part of town. I will take pictures of the actual house tomorrow and compare.

Carm gave me contact info for a friend of hers who is big into the history of the area and “loves to play show n’ tell”. I sent him an email asking if he knew anything, and I’ll ask my boss more while we’re driving to the zoo in the morning.

*** UPDATE
The front of the house. It’s not the same.

I also talked to my boss. He didn’t seem to know much other than the house was some how connected to an author he’d never heard of.

Here’s what Dr. Wood said:

Anyway, it’s still the coolest, nerdiest, most awesome thing I’ve run past in a while.

Madeline L’Engle is one of my all time favorite authors. My sister and I had an entire bookshelf just for her in our room. She also wrote about my grandfather in one of her books.

The past day has been filled with all kinds of unexpected twists and turns, both good and meh.

The family with the 3 and 10 year olds asked if I could come watch them last minute last night. As always, we had a blast. After I put the little one to bed, the older one tried to explain Minecraft to me. I’m still not sure I totally get it– virtual Legos meets The Sims with a “party line”? Regardless, I can’t remember the last time I laughed so much either.

I got home around 1am, then Avery wanted to pee at 7 and I was up for the day.

The little girl’s family texted around 3, and invited me over for a cookout. Right before they got ready to eat the mom asked what I ate and the dad came up and was like “she’s vegan, but she doesn’t eat that much anyway. She likes those tomatoes.” I echoed the same thing. But she made me a HUGE salad anyway. Then sent me to the dining room to eat it, while everyone else ate in the kitchen.

I pretty much freaked out.

As a kid I would be left to spend never ending hours alone at the table until I ate (or barfed). It felt just like that and created an instant sense of utter panic. I’m not a big fan of light green lettuce, and don’t think I have ever eaten so much food all at once. It was seriously the worlds biggest salad. I thought I was going to die, but couldn’t see a way around it. I felt like my little kid self, trapped until I ate it. There were too many people around to entertain any alternative options. Plus, the men were ALL in the bathroom together trying to hang a mirror.

I think I am slowly falling in love with the strange, yet oddly wonderful family of the little girl I’ve been watching. Sometime last week, he figured out that I LOVE baby tomatoes, and has had a big bowl of them on the counter every day since. The little girl is now a committed baby tomato lover too.

Today, he was hanging out with us for a while talking about school and stuff. We are a lot alike! He is super hyperactive, on stims his whole life, went to a similar type school with more creative and project based learning, tried the whole corporate thing, hated it and was largely unsuccessful. He has a masters degree in music because he couldn’t stand the thought of persuing a degree in anything that didn’t move him even though he knew going in it would be useless. He said there were times he was so hungry and broke that he’d sneak into the professors’ offices at UM at night to raid the fridges. That it wasn’t until he figured out how to do his own thing that it all really clicked for him. They own 3 houses on the water, pays me to watch him play video games for hours on end while the baby sleeps, or calls me on a weekend to come over for a few house so he can take a nap, and only works 10 months out if the year.

He was so sweet and encouraging this afternoon, telling me it’s ok not to do the 9-5 thing. He was like “don’t worry about camp jobs being hard to find, just start your own camp. But you CAN NOT do the whole desk job thing, you are too unusual. Every time I come down here, you are cooking and dancing with my kid or planking and squatting with her on your back. You never seem mad or distant, that’s special. There are so many kids who need you!” Then he, on the spot, came up with this whole detailed plan on how to start my own camp. Such a huge contrast from the interview last weekend.

Tomorrow, I go back to class… YIKES!
I had a busy spring break with lots of working, followed by an entire week’s worth of fun and excitement crammed into the past two days.

Tomorrow is the last of the scary chapters in my wellness class. It’s on weight control and eating disorders. I’m kind of nervous, especially because DB is out of the country, and she always texts me halfway through class, then we chat immediately after. But, we already went through the chapter together, and all of my assignments are done. So it should be OK!

Today, I had the second camp interview. I think it went pretty well. We met at Panera, but didn’t eat. I was totally fine with that! She said she was looking at putting me as the assistant waterfront director or assistant program director…. I was under the impression I was being considered for the program director, or water front director. So, it was kind of a let down when she didn’t seem that interested. I feel like my background, age and experience are difficult to beat for either director position. It makes me think they are afraid of my hearing loss. She also told me that neither of those positions are considered “admin staff” so I would be sleeping in a unit. Unit staff sleep 4 to a platform tent. There wouldn’t be any way to have Avery with me in a unit. Last time I worked at that camp, I was the assistant waterfront director, and slept with the other directors in the air conditioned office. The office would work fine with Avery.

Anyway. She seemed nice enough, and someone I could easily work with. But I was hoping that the massive amount of experience I bring to the table would be obvious and valued. I also need to have Avery… AND keep her safe. The meeting left me with some significant doubts…

Followed immediately by substantial panic. I can’t take summer classes. I have a place to live for the rest of the semester. The friend I’d discussed living with just finally moved and won’t be interested in moving again. I have income, but not the kind that will lend well to renting. Besides, I can’t keep baby-sitting if I have to move home.

Avery and I got brave, woke up early and drove the 2 hours to the NEDA walk this morning.

It was nothing short of AMAZING! And I wasn’t the fattest person there, which was a legit concern.

I didn’t understand the speakers, but I don’t really care. I watched the audience react to what was being said. I saw people hugging each other, tearing up, and nodding in agreement.

It really hit me. I’m not alone. Yes. I read all of your lovely blogs. Yes. I have an anorexic sister. Yes. I can parrot statistics like a good perfectionist nerd. Yes. I know about the bathroom girls…